Hotline
by QuasiOuster
Summary: A fluffy story about a developing relationship and a couple of telephones. Very sappy and very Lumi.
1. Default Chapter

**Author's Note: I admit, I've been sitting on this story but I'm finally on the ball. I've played with the timing of things a bit but this takes place around the summer of 2003 after Sami's accident. So Lucas is still working for Tony (who was recently stabbed), Sami's working at Basic Black and Will's off at camp. But don't worry, Tony won't be making many appearances in this story. Thanks for reading! -Yvonne-**

**HOTLINE: CHAPTER 1**

Lucas leaned back in his chair and tiredly rubbed his eyes for what seemed like the millionth time. He was still at the Dimera mansion working on some last minute business deals for Tony. He had been running errands off and on all dayfirst to see Tony's attorney about some overseas mergers and then to the bank to check on Tony's accounts and make a few deposits. Ever since arriving back at the mansion an hour or so after grabbing a quick dinner, he had been putting the finishing touches on the contracts Tony had faxed over a few hours before.

His job was challenging but he felt very satisfied about how this situation with Tony was working out. He knew that he could be an asset to Tony's organization but he was a little nervous at first about making a good impression and proving to Tony that he was a real player. Tony had been giving him more responsibilities as proof that Lucas was exceeding his expectations for the job.

That was why Lucas was working late at this very moment. Tony had gone out of town to scout out some future acquisitions in Europe and had left Lucas in charge of things until he came back. He called to check in on his progress, but for the most part, Lucas was calling the shots. Tony was supposed to be taking it easy after his stabbing but naturally, he couldn't sit still for long. So this trip was really just a vacation under the guise of being productivethere would me a lot more resting and recuperating rather than negotiating and dealing.

It had been unusually quiet in the mansion this evening much to Lucas' surprise. Thankfully, Tony's ever-brooding son Rex was out for the evening with his girlfriend Mimi and Cassie had decided to join her father in Europe for a few weeks. She had been on him like a leech lately and it was becoming too much to handle. He didn't really mind the attention since he thought she was extremely hot but he knew he had to behave if he wanted to stay on Tony's good side. He hadn't checked the employee manual but he was pretty sure that hittin' the boss' daughter was a no-no. He had told her as much so they tried to keep the fooling around to a minimum. It's not like he wanted a relationship with her or anythingshe was way too young for him. But they could have a little fun while they were both single and stimulated.

He looked over at the clock on the desk which read 11:47 and mentally calculated how much longer he needed to stay before heading home and getting some well-deserved rest. Unfortunately, he still had quite a bit of work to do. Sometimes, he thought he should have his own bedroom in the mansion as much time as he spent here. He sighed and returned to the documents he had been reviewing moments before.

He was startled from his work by the sound of his personal cell phone ringing. He wondered who could possibly be calling this late. His mother was in Chicago on business and Will was away at camp. He was getting to be that age where late calls tended to make him nervous and he hoped that there wasn't anything wrong with Will.

Without checking the Caller ID, he flipped his phone open. "Hello," Lucas answered in a worried tone. It seemed like a hundred different disaster scenarios ran through his mind at the same time.

"Lucas," Sami answered, "It took you long enough to answer the phone. It's about Will." On the one hand, Lucas was irritated to hear his son's mother on the other end of his phone. He was tired and busy and didn't feel like dealing with any of her crap at the moment. On the other hand, she wasn't in the habit of just calling him up to chat and her mention of Will only confirmed his sense of impending dread about his well-being.

"What's wrong? What happened to Will? Do I need to drive down to his camp?" Lucas couldn't help but imagine what accident had befallen his son. Had he broken a limb, or maybe he had a concussion. Lucas couldn't imagine that Will had hurt someone else. "Come on Sami, tell me what's going on!"

It usually didn't take much so Sami was instantly irritated with Lucas. Her instinct was always to handle these kinds of things herself instead of bickering with him about it. But they were trying to turn over a new leaf in the midst of her "accident" at the Dimera mansion which was why she had decided to call him. She was now beginning to think that her decision was a mistake.

"Calm down, Lucas and let me get a word in. Geez, you're such a spaz!"

Only Sami could tick Lucas off in the space of 3 seconds. "Gee, Sami, I'm really sorry but when you call me in the middle of the night telling me that something's going on with my son, I tend to get a bit testy."

"I don't need any of your attitude you know. I can just handle this myself and let you"

Lucas cut her off with an exasperated sigh. "I'm sure if the situation was reversed, you'd freak out too." He was doing his best to keep his voice and his temperament steady and calm. "Sami, what does Will need? Feel free to take this personally but could you just tell me so we can part ways as quickly as possible?"

"Fine! I just called to tell you that I got a message from Will's camp that the kids are coming back 3 days ahead of schedule. They think the rainy season is coming early up there and they don't want the kids to be in any danger. So Will is going to be home on the 21st instead of the 24th. Don't say I never told you anything. Goodbye."

"Wait a minute, Sami," Lucas yelled into the phone before she had the chance to hang up. "Who told you this? How do you know and I don't know?" He knew it was petty but Lucas was irritated that she knew something about their son that he didn't. He honestly didn't feel good about being so suspicious of her. However, he supposed he would always be a little paranoid about her excluding him from Will's life.

For a moment, Lucas thought that Sami had already hung up on him but when he heard her over-dramatic sigh, he knew she was still on the line. "I know because Will's camp called me. That guy, Fred Woodburn or Woodstockwhatever his name iscalled and told me. He said the bus is still going to meet us at the school, just 3 days earlier."

"That's Fred Woodbridge and why didn't anyone tell me? Did you tell him not to call me so you could keep this gem of a secret all to yourself?" Lucas could practically feel Sami's irritation seeping through the phone and mingling with his own annoyance.

"Don't be ridiculous Lucas," Sami replied impatiently. "As much fun as it is torturing you with mundane scheduling changes, I've got better things to do with my time. He tried calling you at home but you're obviously not there. Have you tried checking your messages genius?" Not that Lucas wanted to concede the point to her but he indeed hadn't checked his home messages today. "I know you're not at home because I knocked on your door a little while ago."

"Fine, but why are you just telling me now? I'm sure he didn't call you at 11:45 at night." Sometimes getting a story out of Sami was like pulling teeth.

"Of course he didn't just call me. I talked to him a few hours ago." She paused as if she didn't want to disclose the confession she was about to make. "I was waiting for you to come home and I was going to tell you then." She said the last part so quietly that he almost didn't hear her on the other end of the phone.

"What was that Sami?" Lucas asked unclear whether he had heard her correctly.

She kicked herself for actually telling him the real reason. He would probably use this as another opportunity to make fun of her. "Just forget about it, Lucas. Now you know." She quickly regained her composure again, embarrassed at having admitted that she had waited for him. "I guess you're working late then...again," she added a little less bitterly.

"I didn't know you cared, Sami." That actually came out harsher than he had intended. He was just shocked that Sami has expressed something so akin to concernand it was directed at him. He knew they had been getting along better lately but it still took some getting used to. "Look, I don't want to fight about this." When his statement was met with silence, he decided to continue. "Sorry, I jumped down your throat. It's just that I've had a long day and I'm on a very short fuse right now." He smiled thinking about her last comment. "And yes mommy, I am working late again tonight." He laughed lightly to let her know that he was joking with her. He had no desire to make the situation worse and he really was amused by her interest.

Sami tried not to appreciate his stupid joking but she grinned all the same. She shrugged at his explanation as if unconsciously trying to communicate that she didn't care what he did. Although she hated to admit it, her interest was anything but casual, however, this wasn't confession time for her or for Lucas. The fantasies that she'd been having about him were utterly disturbing so she had to rationalize that her interest was simply because he had been so nice to her since her accident.

"So, what are you working on?" she asked trying to feign as little interest as possible but genuinely curious about what he was doing. She wasn't thrilled about him working for Tony and thought it might make her feel better to know what he was working on and that his work wouldn't put him in harms way. Of course, she was only concerned about how Will would react if something happened to his father. Or at least that's what she told herself for the time being.

Lucas leaned back in his chair and tapped his pen on the table. He supposed this was his chance to show Sami just how important a guy he was. "Well," he drawled feigning nonchalance. "I'm just doing the usual for Tonymaking decisions, closing deals, signing contracts. He really needs me to run things while he's recuperating in Europe." He quickly got up from the chair he had been occupying for the last few hours and headed towards the kitchen. If he was going to chat with Sami, it seemed to be the right time to take a break and grab a snack.

Likewise, Sami walked to her kitchen preparing to make herself a midnight snack too. "Is that right, Lucas? You expect me to believe that Tony left you in charge of the entire Dimera organization?" she asked playfully. "Little old Lucas Roberts?" She rifled through the fridge looking for something snacky and not too filling to munch on. She found some pita bread in the back and pulled out the leftover hummus she had picked up for lunch.

"Yes, 'little old Lucas Roberts,'" replied a wounded Lucas. "Tony is depending on me to take care of his business and I'm going to make sure that I do right by him. He's given me a great opportunity and I'm going to make the most of it." He took out some items to make a good-sized sandwich. "What, Sami? Are you concerned about me compromising your boyfriend's lucrative business dealings leaving you without a sugar daddy?"

Sami picked up her plate and took it over to her couch plopping down with a hard thud. "Tony is NOT my boyfriend. And that wasn't a very nice thing to say." Even three weeks ago, Sami would have screamed at him and hung up in his face. But her reaction was simply to take another big bite of hummus and pita. "Tony's just feeling guilty about my accident and who am I to turn down his generosity? It's not like anyone has ever showered me with gifts before and it took me getting pushed through some glass doors and almost dying to get it."

Lucas stopped his sandwich making when she mentioned her horrible accident from a few months before. He still hated to be reminded of how close they came to losing herand his role in the whole thing happening in the first place. "Sami, you know that was an accident and neither I nor Tony meant for that to happen." He could have chalked his guilt up to his concern about Will but he was starting to realize that it was more than that. Unfortunately, it didn't stop him from getting annoyed by her words. "So it looks like you ARE using Tony."

"Look who's talking? You're the one going on and on about how Tony's going to take you places and that working for him will get you all the power you've ever wanted in life. So don't you sit there and lecture me."

Lucas stabbed his knife into the mustard viciously, clearly frustrated. "Sami, that's completely different. I just want to position myself to be able to provide a good life for our son. Right now, Tony can help me do that. What can you possible find wrong with that?" He topped his sandwich with the mustard slathered bread slice and sat at the kitchen table slowly munching on his snack.

Sami thought about what he had said and debated whether she should reveal what she actually thought about it. Even though they were making an effort to get along better, she still didn't find it easy to confide her true feelings to him. Instead, she found herself remembering those days when they had been good friends. It seemed so long ago and try as she might, she couldn't see them ever getting back to that point.

But she wanted to stop trying to intentionally hurt him too. Her accident had put a lot of things in perspective for her. She was tired of living her life in the shadow of other people's doubts of her. She knew she hadn't always made the best choices in life but who could fault her for wanting to be loved and happy? Lucas' kind treatment of her the past couple of months showed that maybe he was ready to move forward too and that meant giving each other the benefit of the doubt sometimes. Maybe being honest with Lucas again was finally worth the risk.

It was time for Sami to take the plunge. "Lucas, what Will needs is to know that his father is safe and always there for him. He needs you in his life not riches and power. Socializing with Tony is one thing but working for him can be dangerous. All the power and money in the world isn't going to do Will any good if for some reason, he loses having his father in his life." It felt strange saying these words to her old enemy but it felt good too somehow.

Lucas was in mid-bite when Sami confessed her feelings on the subject and he was in complete shock at her words. He placed his sandwich back on the plate and stared blankly in front of him. Never in a million years did he expect those words to come out of Sami's mouth. It almost sounded like the old days when they had been the only one the other could rely on. He didn't know what say to her but he couldn't stop the flow of hopeful emotions that had flooded his mind. It scared and excited him all at the same time.

Sami, uncomfortable with the silence on the other end, couldn't stand to have the moment extend without a snappy comment. "God Lucas, if you wanted to finish smacking and slobbering over your sandwich instead of talking to me then you should have just said so. I'll leave you to your wheeling and dealing or whatever the hell it is that you're doing so late over there." After revealing something so intimate to him, she was feeling vulnerable and completely embarrassed. She was starting to regret telling Lucas what was on her mind. They simply weren't ready for this kind of disclosure.

Unidentified panic filled Lucas as he grasped his phone tightly. "No, no, Sami, don't go!" Lucas yelled into the phone for the second time that night. "I'm sorry, I was just surprised by what you said...and really flattered. It means a lot that you really understand that Will needs me in his life. And I need him in my life tooso much." He smiled to himself thinking about the indignant pout that must be on her face right now. "You have to admit that it's a little shocking to hear you compliment me on my parenting skills and express concern over my well-being. You telling me that you hate my guts is normal, but the alternative, well, it's going to take some getting used to."

"Well," Sami said cautiously, "don't let it go to that already big head of yours. Even that huge mansion is getting too small to house that ego." The truth was that she was shocked herself over her confession. It seemed easier to tell him those things over the phone rather than in person.

"That's certainly true," Lucas joked to lighten the mood. "But it was nice to hear all the same. Thanks Sami."

"You're welcome," she responded. There was a long pause as they both pondered their own thoughts about this relationship that was changing right in front of their eyes. She could hear him slowly chewing his sandwich on the other end of the line but she had put her snack down on the table and was twirling her hair nervously. "I guess, I should let you get back to work now. I didn't mean to keep you so long." If she was being completely honest with herself, she would admit that she didn't want to let him goin more ways than one. But now wasn't the right time for this kind of thinking. "I just wanted to tell you about Will."

Lucas couldn't help his flutter of delight upon hearing that she sounded just as nervous as he. There was also a level of comfort and hopefulness in their connection that he prayed he wasn't imagining. "Thanks for letting me know. I guess, we'll make plans about Will when the date gets closer. That's still 3 weeks away so we've got plenty of time." He fingered the plate nervously as the silence continued. He thought since they were on a roll, he might as well go for it. "Uh, by the way Sami. You weren't any kind of bother. I needed the break anyway. You can call me whenever you like." He hoped that didn't sound too pathetic and needy but it was heartfelt all the same. "It wasn't THAT bad talking to you. I could be convinced to do it again."

"Sure Lucas," Sami said quickly trying to quash the smile that had erupted across her face. "Anytime." Again, the silence stretched between them. But unlike before, these moments hung comfortably in the air casting a spell over them. "Umm, so I guess I'll talk to you later?" She hadn't meant for it to come out as a question but this conversation had taken a lot of turns that she couldn't have predicted or controlled.

Lucas smiled softly at the pleasant thought of talking with her on a regular basis. "Yeah, of course...I mean, I'll see you soon." Lucas cringed at what a dork he was coming across as. He knew he had to cut this conversation off quick before he made an even bigger idiot of himself.

"Back to work for you," Sami joked lamely. She paused before wishing him goodnight. "Don't work to hard, General."

"I won't," Lucas chuckled at the mention of his old nickname. They both knew they needed to get off of the phone but neither wanted to end their conversation. They were both experiencing an overwhelming urge to savor the delicate connection they had created in the last 20 minutes.

"Bye Lucas," Sami finally said in a voice far sexier than she had intended.

"Bye Sami," he drawled in return in a voice that was far sappier than he had intended.

They both hung up the phone and were consumed with questions about what exactly had just happened between them.


	2. Chapter 2

**HOTLINE **  
Chapter 2

Sami was cranky.

It was 10:30 on a Saturday morning and she was sitting in her basement office sorting through files. She tried to stop herself from cursing John and Kate every fifteen seconds but was having little success with that. Even though she had just started, Kate had given her more work than any human being could reasonably handle. But she was not going to let that bitch get the best of her. Sami figured if she worked hard and maybe made some allies in the office, she could use it to her advantage down the road. Besides, if she could make Kate and John look like fools for badmouthing her, all the better. You never knew what was going to happen in Salem and she might as well be prepared.

Sami let out a big yawn as she threw another file on top of the ever-growing pile spilling off of her desk. She was exhausted this morning. If she hadn't set her alarm, she probably would have slept in until noon. She had no business staying up as late as she did last night. Of course, this line of thinking brought her back to her other obsession for the morningLucas.

What in world was going on with her and Lucas?

She recalled the last time she had actually seen him in person. She was trying to get through the door to Basic Black while carrying an armload of files and papers the head shrew had sent her to pick up. Needless to say, she was having a hard time maneuvering inside. She had finally gotten herself through the door with one last struggled shove but she lost her balance. However, instead of ending up on the ground buried in papers, she had found herself caught in the strong arms of some good and very well-built samaritan. After he steadied her and she had regained her balance and control over the huge load of papers in her arms, she looked up to thank whoever it was that saved her.

"Thanks so much, I" She stopped cold when, to her dismay, her gaze met the smirking face of Lucas Roberts.

The heartfelt thanks she had prepared disappeared from her lips as she saw him standing there with his arms crossed and eyebrow raised expectantly, probably waiting for her to drop down and grovel at his feet with gratitude. Well, there wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell for that.

Sami straightened herself up as best she could and shot an icy glare his wayalthough not as frosty as her usual, less than friendly greetings. "Don't look so pleased with yourself, Lucas. You make a useful door stop as usual. Now if you'll get out of my way, I've got work to do." She stomped off towards the elevator still struggling with the files and praying that she wouldn't drop them in front of him. She thought that if she had to see his gloating smirk one more time, she just might punch him in the face. Even if he had been nice to her after her accident, he was still a first class jerk and she didn't know how she ever put up with him.

Back in the present, Sami sighed and glanced at her clock again. Only 10:37 and she still had a ton of work to do. Plus, thinking about Lucas like that just made her more irritated with him. She was so tired, mostly due to her late night phone call with him. Their conversation had only lasted for about 20 minutes but if you counted the energy she had expended waiting for him to come home so she could tell him about Will and add that to the hours it took for her to fall asleep for thinking about him, it added up to a whole lot of wasted time. Now she was paying the price for it. In fact, that's all obsessing over Lucas amounted toa big, fat, useless waste of time. Sami was determined to get Lucas off of her mind and clung to that idea.

But if that were really true, she wouldn't have waited for him last night or said all those things to him either.

Sami shook her head in denial. She had had enough of that kind of thinking. She turned to the pile of papers in front of her and began working again. With a sigh of frustration, she tried to wipe all thoughts of Lucas from her mind.

But try as she might, five minutes later, she was still pondering how bizarre her developing relationship with Lucas was. She couldn't believe that she had actually said the things she said to him. It was not like her to be so candid and with Lucas of all people. Truth be told, she hadn't actually put ALL of her cards on the table. There was a lot she had been feeling over the past couple of months that she wouldn't dream of telling himlike her steamy fantasies of them together and some of the more intimate reasons behind their late-night sleepovers. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't having an effect on herthat Lucas wasn't having an effect on her. Hell, she couldn't even understand it herself, much less explain it to someone else. Sami threw her head down on the desk, resting her forehead on top of her crossed arms. It was useless trying to get Lucas off of her mind.

It was at times like these that she missed having a best friend. She really needed someone to talk to about what was going on with her these days. Was it just hormones from the accident or maybe some kind of residual psychic trauma? Talking to her mother was out of the question since all she ever did was judge her anyway. It seemed like Eric distanced himself from everything that happened with his family including his own twin sometimes. Belle, likewise, was always too preoccupied with her own teenage drama to really care about what was going on with her own sister. She knew she had done her fair share of damage to some of her relationships but over the years, she'd been lucky enough to have had a few good friends. Jamie had been a really good friend before she had to move away. And of course, once upon a time, Lucas had been her good friend too. The best of friends actually. It always comes back to Lucas.

Everything was so complicated now and judging from that phone call last night, it wasn't just her feeling these things anymore. Maybe he too missed what they used to have, even if only a little bit. Everybody had to start somewhere.

Sami tapped her pen against the table nervously. Now that she thought about it, it's not like she had really revealed anything to Lucas except that she wanted him to be a part of Will's life. That wasn't so bad actually. He sounded like he'd been pleased to hear her say thata little surprised too, but definitely pleased. It felt good knowing that she made him feel like that. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to have him in her life again and remembering Lucas' reaction brought a smile to her face. But that smile turned into a devious grin as an idea popped into her head.

Wouldn't it be something if they could learn to trust each other like in the old days?

She picked up her phone and searched until she found the number she was looking for. As the phone was ringing, she thought to herself that Lucas was really going to get a kick out of this.

"Hi, this is Samantha Brady...I know, I know, but I have a favor to ask, if you wouldn't mind."

* * *

Lucas rolled out of bed clad only in his dark blue boxers, scratching and stretching as he made his way to the bathroom. He glanced at the clock in the hallway and noted that it was already noon. Thankfully, it was Saturday and there wasn't much on the business side of things he needed to do for work. He had finished up a lot of things last night which left his weekend a little more free than usual.

It seemed that lately his life pretty much revolved around his work for Tony. With Will at camp, he didn't have to worry about getting him up and ready for school or planning fun things to do on the weekendsomething he missed terribly. He reasoned that this was the time he needed to focus on his career so he could make a stable life for him and his son. Everything would have to take a backburner to that for the time being. He got to see his family fairly often and that was enough variety for him. So after he had gotten off the phone with Sami last night, he had stayed and finished up all of his paperwork in anticipation of his semi-free weekend. Unfortunately, now he didn't know what to do with all of his extra time.

The thought of Sami brought an unexpected smile to his face. She sure was full of surprises. He could say one thing about their relationshipyou never knew what was going to happen from moment to moment. Lucas admitted to himself that he was a bit distracted by their impromptu conversation the night before but he wrote it off to the surprise of hearing all of those civil things coming from her mouth.

He stepped into the hot shower and immediately rinsed his hair and slicked it back. The hot water felt great running down his face and beating against his back. Starting off with a hot shower was becoming something of a habit. He found that a hot shower was a great way for him to relieve some of the stress of his days working for Tony.

He found his thoughts straying back to Sami and the playful way she had ribbed him the night before. Another brilliant smile sprung to his face but this time he immediately quashed it. Appreciating their civil relationship was one thing but thinking about playful Sami while he was in the shower was quite another. Especially when his mind instantly conjured up just how luscious she looked the last time he had seen her.

He had been leaving the Basic Black building having dropped off his mother after a lunch date. He caught Samiliterallyas she was coming into the building. She had been carrying an armload of stuff and he had helped her get through the door. When she fell into his arms, he couldn't help but appreciate the feel of her soft body and how she fit perfectly in his hands. He could see a wisp of cleavage over the papers she was carrying and tried not to let his gaze linger lest he receive the sharpest of rebukesarmload of papers or not. He had to admit that since he'd known her, she'd always been able to fill out a dress in the best possible way. Still, ever the glutton for punishment, he couldn't suppress an amused smirk over their encounter.

She had been hardly enthusiastic in her thanks but at least she wasn't hurling venomous insults either. As she walked away in a huff, he again noticed how great she looked in her pink silk wrap dress and high heels. You could see every delicious curve and he was a man after all, even if the thought of actually spending any time with her tended to make his spleen bleed spontaneously. He knew he should have been irritated with her but he just chuckled as she boarded the elevator still struggling with her load.

Lucas shook his head in disgust with himself. The previous evening had been nice but he needed to stop dwelling on it. It was late, they were both tired and maybe feeling a little sentimental. Sure Sami had been unusually kind but he didn't want to get carried away because she decided to be a decent human being for once. Lucas felt his usual disdain for Sami return and instantly felt better. She had lured him into being a little sappy but never again. He could get along with her for the sake of their son but he was fooling himself if he thought they actually had a crack at a decent relationship. Their time for being friends had passed.

Lucas stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his body. By the time he was dressed and ready to grab a bite to eat, he had convinced himself that the night before had all been an anomaly. The more he thought about it, the more he thought that Sami probably had badmouthed him to that Fred Woodbridgeor was it Woodburn...

Damn Sami and her stupid disruptions. He calculated that he had wasted a good 20 minutes thinking about her this morning and almost anything having to do with Sami outside of their son was nothing but a big waste of time.

"It's Fred Woodbridge," Lucas said definitively. "Stupid Sami, trying to confuse me. And now she's got me talking to myself." He opened his fridge but his eyes were distracted by the blinking light on his cell phone sitting on the counter. He closed the door and picked up his phone thinking that he must have been out like a light if he hadn't heard the phone ring.

"Hello, Mr. Roberts, This is Fred Woodbridge from Will's camp." The friendly camp counselor sounded just as easy-going as the first time Lucas had met him 2 years ago. Lucas smiled as he heard the sound of kids shouting with excitement in the background knowing one of those kids could be his son having a blast with his camp friends.

"I hope I'm not calling too early but I just got off of the phone with Samantha and she said that you might be away on business. She gave me this number in case you weren't able to receive my other messages." Lucas frowned a bit, surprised by his mild irritation over Fred's reference to Sami by her first name. He'd have to ask her when she and Will's camp counselor had become so chummy.

"I wanted to let you know that due to some weather concerns, we will be busing our campers back three days earlier than expected. So they will be returning to the middle school on August 21st instead of August 24th. The campers are a little sad about coming home early probably because they don't want to start school," he chuckled. "But we want to make sure the kids are safe. If you have any questions please feel free to give me a ring anytime. I can assure you that Will is having a great time and even though he probably wouldn't tell you, he really misses you and Samantha. Have a good weekend, now. Bye."

Lucas didn't know what to make of this phone call. Sami had called Fred Woodbridge and asked him to fill Lucas in on news that she had already told him? Sami? The same woman who thrived on torturing him, especially when it came to their son? This was going to take some time to sink in.

Lucas stood there leaning against the kitchen counter pondering his earlier thoughts of Sami. Maybe she had been serious last night when she recognized that Will needed him in his life. Like he said before, Sami was full of surprises. The more he thought about it, the more it warmed his heart.

"Well, how about that," Lucas said out loud with a bemused grin.

On an impulse Lucas left his apartment and went over to Sami's place. He didn't know what he planned to say to her but he was sure he would figure it out. He just needed to see her so that he would know this was for real.

He knocked on her door and waited with pleasant anticipation for her to answer. The magnitude of his disappointment surprised him as the seconds stretched on and there was no Sami to answer the door. He knocked again, hoping that she was just having a slow day but with resignation, he knew she wasn't home. Whatever he was meant to say to her would have to wait.

He turned to go back to his apartment when Sami''s neighbor, Bruce, appeared at the elevator. His two chihuahuas were in tow so he had probably just returned from walking them. He was a new tenant so he wasn't as privy to the "intensity" of his and Sami's relationship but he definitely knew that something unconventional was going on with his two neighbors. Lucas waved at the older man and opened the door to his apartment.

"If you're looking for that one," Bruce said pointing at Sami's door, "I think she went to work or something." He turned the key in his lock and led the dogs inside.

"Excuse me?" Lucas asked as he walked closer to his neighbor's door.

Bruce turned around hanging his leashes on a peg by the door. "That girl that lives next door. I think she went to work this morning. I saw her leaving around 9:00."

Lucas didn't mean to be rude but he was curious why their neighbor knew so much about Sami's whereabouts. You could never be too careful these days. Salem was a very strange place and the next thing you know, a serial killer could be on the loose. "How do you know she went to work?" he asked trying to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders and said, "I suppose I don't know for sure but it kinda tipped me off when we exchanged greetings and she said that she was off to work. I guess you can draw your own conclusions. You seem to know her a bit better," he said chuckling.

Lucas cracked a smile in response. It was nice to know that the old man had a sense of humor. "I'd say that's a pretty solid conclusion. Thanks for the info."

"No problem," Bruce answered. "She didn't look too happy about going so maybe she'd get a kick out of it if you distracted her for a bit," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Then he paused as if in deep thought. "Actually, given the two of you, maybe not. Have a nice day." He moved to close his door and Lucas waved a goodbye.

"You too," Lucas responded as the door shut. He went back to his own apartment and tried to decide what he should do. He felt kind of bad that she had to go into work on a Saturday. He had heard from him mother that things weren't exactly cordial between them and that relations were strained at best. It sounded like Sami did her work and kept as far away from his mother that she could get. The name of the game was semi-peaceful co-existence. Just like him, Sami was focusing on work while Will was at camp. He then remembered that she was still recuperating from her accident leading to another wave of sympathy for her.

Bruce had a point, Sami might not appreciate a phone call from him especially if she was already in a bad mood about being at work. But then again, after last night, maybe she would appreciate it. Either way, he'd done worse to piss her off so why not.

He grabbed his phone before he lost his nerve and dialed her number. After a few rings he was greeted by the voice of an unusually sedate Sami.

"Hello," she answered sounding somewhat distracted.

He almost lost his nerve but in the age of Caller ID, he knew he couldn't back out. "Hey Sami, it's Lucas." He felt like a 15 year old calling a cute girl for the first time. Well, this was the first time in a long time that he was calling like thisand she was pretty cute.

On the other end, Sami was shocked and surprised to hear Lucas' voice. She knew he would probably call but she was utterly unprepared for what to say to him. Plus, although she had been fighting against it, he had been on her mind all morning. What she couldn't deny was the rush of pleasure she felt at hearing his voice on the other side of her phone connection.

With a soft smile on her face she finally responded in an unexpectedly sultry voice. "Hi Lucas. I'm glad you called."


	3. Chapter 3

**HOTLINE**  
Chapter 3

"Hi Lucas. I'm glad you called."

After Sami answered her phone, Lucas remembered that he hadn't planned what he'd say to her before calling. Now that he was hearing her voice lilting so playfully in his ear, it wasn't making it any easier for him to think. However, he wasn't one to let an opportunity pass him by. 

"So you're glad I called, huh?" Lucas replied flirtatiously, not missing a beat. "Are you saying I've been on your mind all morning? What have you been thinking about me?" his husky voice asked suggestively. This conversation had gone to the gutter rather quickly, even for him.

Sami instantly forgot her playful greeting as soon as she heard Lucas' cocky response. He had hit a little too close to home for her liking. He had been on her mind not only all morning but all of last night tooincluding in her dreams. Perhaps that was why the ease with which he slipped into a casual yet provocative banter unnerved Sami. She was beginning to question whether it was a good idea to open the Pandora's Box that was their relationship. Automatically, her defenses went to red alert. Nevertheless, leave it to Lucas Roberts to piss her off by being as vulgar as possible.

"You really know how to charm a girl, don't you Casanova," was Sami's sarcastic reply. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm only glad because I knew you were going to call and it's good that we're getting our confrontation over with." Her testiness was never a good sign and Lucas could hear her clicking her pen nervously. "I'm sure you've spoken to Fred over at Will's camp but before you start, I just want you to know that"

"Calm down, Sami. Talk about a mood killer! Why do you have to get so defensive?"

As soon as the words left his mouth the answer had already popped into his head. She must be feeling pretty vulnerable and embarrassed, afraid that he would be annoyed with her. She always tried to cover it up with sarcasm, but he knew her better than that. It took him a little longer than it used to this time but at least he had pinned it down. "Look," he said calmly and slowly, "I'm not mad or annoyed or any other expression of irritation."

There was silence on the other end as if Sami were digesting his words. "Oh," she said simply. "I knew that." Her response was so soft, as if she was speaking more to herself.

Lucas grinned smugly at her backtracking. He was comforted by the fact that he wasn't alone in this. Her reaction told him that she was over-thinking things too. "I really did believe you last night. You didn't have to have someone from Will's camp call me but it was a nice gesture. I'll try not to let it get out what a sweetheart you can be." He chuckled as he heard her mock gasp at the implication. 

"Don't get all mushy on me Lucas. It's not like anyone would believe you anyway."

"Me, mushy...never, Sami."

"Right," Sami replied skeptically. There was a long pause before she continued. "I know that you aren't in the habit of trusting me." Sami cut Lucas off quickly when he tried to interrupt her. "And I know that I haven't given you reason toand that I'm not one to trust you either." When she got no response from him, she went on. "I wanted you to know that I was really serious about what I said last night. We have to start somewhere, right? So that was my peace offering, sort of. To let you know that maybe we can start to trust each other again, if only for Will's sake."

For the second time in a twenty-four hour period, Sami had rendered him speechless. He could live to be a thousand years old and he would never figure this woman out. But, boy did she make it a whole lot of fun to try.

When he got his thoughts back on track, he found that he didn't really know what to say. How did you tell someone who it seems has always been in your lifefor better or for worsethat you want things to be different? How could he find the words to express to her this combination of fear and excitement? Did he really want her to know about the hopefulness that was currently overwhelming his heart? It sounded like she already knew and maybe was feeling it too.

When he finally found his voice, it was quiet and intense with emotion. "Let's do it, Sami. I know we should do this for Will, but we need to do this for us too. We were so good once." On the other end of the line, Sami nodded in silent agreement smiling warmly at his words and at the memories. They had been the best.

The seconds lingered on with neither knowing where to go next with the conversation. "So..." Sami said clearing her throat. 

"So..." Lucas said at the exact same time. They both giggled nervously until Lucas finally got his question out. "What are you doing working on a Saturday? I thought that was my department." Since he began working for Tony, Saturdays had become Will's day to spend with his mother due to Lucas' work schedule.

"Well not anymore," Sami spat out bitterly. "I just don't want to give your mother any excuse to bitch about me to everyone within earshot. Not that my being her productive little slave is going to stop her from doing that. You know your mother hates me." Sami didn't feel comfortable divulging her real intentions. She accepted that he was a pretty decent guy these days but she knew all too well what a pushover he could be when it came to his mother. When those two got together, it usually spelled trouble for her.

Lucas also accepted that talking about his mother was guaranteed to cause the conversation to go downhill fast and he hadn't called her to start a fight. True, he didn't really know why he had called her but a pleasant conversation was his hope. That meant that all talk concerning his mother was off limits. "I didn't call you to talk about my mom, Sami." He tried to keep his voice neutral so as not to ignite her temper.

"So why did you call then," Sami drawled out coyly. Her tone made it sound like she was taunting him and maybe she was a little bit.

Lucas switched his phone to the other ear to stall for time before finally answering her. "Maybe I just wanted to bug you at work," he replied enigmatically, his trademark smirk appearing on his lips. He picked up his remote control and started flipping through his cable channels aimlessly.

"Ha! You didn't even know I was at work so maybe you better try again, General." If they had been face to face, she would have also told him to lose that insufferable smirk she knew he couldn't help but flaunt.

There it was again, her old nickname for him. Upon hearing that, said smirk transformed into a 100 watt smile. Things were definitely looking up. Of course, that didn't stop him from taking her bait since he could never back down from Sami's challenging tone even when they had been the best of friends so many years ago.

"I did too know you were at work!" 

"Are you psychic now too? I guess now you and Celeste are going to start your own club. This time I really have underestimated your various talents," Sami said rolling her eyes. "Can you give me a couple of lotto numbers while you're at it." She laughed at her own silly joke, enjoying the harmless ribbing she was giving him.

"Aren't you the comedian today?" Lucas hated when she made fun of him but he was currently taking some sort of perverse pleasure in it. What was this woman doing to him? "Damn right you underestimate my many secret talents. I'm sure you're dying to find out what they are, right Sami?" he added sexily, trying to goad her further.

Sami wasn't going to fall for his silly attempts to flirt with her and continued to chuckle into the phone. "Well, I'm no Dave Chappelle but I can come up with a zinger or two on occasion. Come on Lucas, just tell me why you called."

"I'm serious, Sami. Don't tell me you're having trouble believing I would call simply to give you a hard time." He was clearly frustrated that she wasn't playing along but tried not to show it too much. "But since you brought it up, I can tell you that I knew you were at work because your neighbor Bruce told me. He said he saw you earlier this morning as you were leaving your apartment."

"Oh yeah." Sami now remembered talking to Bruce before leaving the building. Of course she hadn't had her coffee at that point but she had spent a few moments playing with Ben and Jerry, his two little dogs. "I sure did run into Bruce on my way out. Did he have his cute little dogs with him when you saw him? Those dogs are so cute! Maybe we should get Will a little dog like that." She clapped her hands together at the idea of getting a pet for Willone that she could actually enjoy.

Lucas attempted to pay attention to Sami's idle chatter but he was too busy trying to figure out when Sami got complete control over the conversation. Still, he could practically feel her delight through the phone and it was infectious. Then the image of his son cooing over a little chihuahua materialized in his mind and he knew he needed to put a stop to this plan right now. Will was meant to have a big, playful dog like a golden retriever or one of those cool black labradors.

"Sami, come on nowa chihuahua? I think our son would be more interested in a dog with a little more bite if you know what I mean." He leaned his head back on the couch and tossed a pillow up in the air.

"But they're so cute Lucas! Did you see Bruce's dogs? How could you resist those little guys? We could get him cute little outfits and take him for walks..."

Lucas' over-dramatic placating sigh cut off her remaining plans for their potential addition to the family. "How about when Will gets back from camp, we can discuss getting a dog with him. For now, don't start heading for the dog run, okay?" He needed to slow Sami down as difficult as it was for him. Her excitement made him want to give her the world.

Sami pouted as she shifted in her uncomfortable office chair. "Fine, spoil sport. But you can't silence me for long since according to Fred, Will be be back in a few short weeks. That'll be plenty of time for us to research our new plan." Sami smiled with pleasure over their first new scheme in ages. It felt good.

However, her mention of the camp counselor brought the tinges of frustration back into Lucas' mind. He had a burning question for her and he meant to get an answer. "That's something else I wanted to ask you about." He started slowly and carefully to gauge her reaction. "Since when are you and 'Fred' so chummy, huh? When he left that message for me, he made it sound like you two were old friends or something." He knew that he had been unsuccessful in keeping the slight bitterness out of his question but he was too focused on her answer to really care.

Sami stared blankly at the ceiling as she pondered Lucas' bizarre queryposed in a less than congenial tone. He sounded totally pissed which only confused her since he had just told her not two minutes ago that he appreciated Fred's call. Men were so weird with Lucas being the prime example every time.

Sami sighed heavily deciding that she didn't want to bother guessing what had got him so worked up when they had been having such a fun conversation...unless...

No, it couldn't be!

Although it seemed to be the most logical answer, why on earth would Lucas be acting so jealous? Surely, he wasn't suggesting that she and Fred had a thing going. But that thought was quickly forgotten when she considered the other factors contributing to the absurdity of what he was insinuating. It was almost too incredulous for Sami to believe. 

He was just asking for her to play with him. She knew that it might be a little mean but it was probably the only entertainment she would have all day. "Lucas, are you asking me if I was flirting with good 'ole Freddy?" She pretended to contemplate the possibility before continuing. "So what if I was," she finally replied, albeit cryptically. "What's so wrong with that?" As a mischievous grin lit up her face, her immediate reaction was that this was way too easy!

Lucas hadn't actually thought that Sami would admit to itor that it would irk him as much as it did. "That's just great Sami. Now you're throwing yourself at Will's camp counselor? I can't believe you!" His irritation was growing by the second and he had no idea why. Why should he care if Sami flirted with some guy? Well, he knew the answer to that, but those thoughts were beside the point right now. She was the one on the hotseat.

Sami, on the other hand, was about to hurt herself over silently laughing at Lucas. Sure she wasn't pleased with what he had implied about her "throwing herself" at their son's counselor but really, the situation was too funny for her not to appreciate. She couldn't help but torture him a little more for his insolence.

"I know this may be hard for you to recognize but I'm a young, virile woman, Lucas." 

Great! Now all he could think about is just how virile that sexy, young body of hers actually was. That admission certainly got his attention. He agreed with that 100.

Sami figured that the mental image of her body must have given him pause and kept the commentary rolling. "Ever since my accident, I just don't feel very attractive." She conjured up her best damsel-in-distress voice for him and tried to sound as hot and bothered as she could muster.

On his end, Lucas couldn't believe Sami was saying these things. Was she kidding? Who wouldn't notice how hot she is? 

"I just need to feel a little sexy every now and then," she purred. She was having so much fun with this. "When I talked to Freddy this morning, we just clicked. He said I was a doll and that he LOVED chatting with me. He's SOOO cute, and funny too. He told me this one story"

Lucas was reaching his limit. He had jumped up from the couch and was now pacing around his apartment in agitation. "I don't want to hear about any of his stupid stories." He had liked the friendly camp counselor 20 minutes ago but now he loathed the little troll with an intense, burning passion.

Sami stopped abruptly trying her best to hold back her laughter. "You don't have to get all huffy. I'm just trying to explain. Why do you have to ruin everything Lucas? He said I sounded fun and sassy and that he would like the chance to get to know me better. Nobody ever talks about me like that. Not even people who are supposed to like me," she added with a whining lilt in her voice.

"That's not true," Lucas said quietly. He had always thought that she was fiery and sassy even when they had been bitter enemies. It was something that he always loved about her; she had to know that.

"Yes it is and you know it. So don't go making fun of me and Freddy." When Lucas didn't answer her right away, she figured she had tortured him enough. "Besides, you have nothing to worry about."

"What makes you think I'm worried?" Lucas asked on impulse although his tone was more on the defeated side.

"Oh please, Lucas. Have you been listening to yourself for the last five minutes of this conversation?"

He knew it had been a dumb thing to say but how could he be expected to think straight around her? She made him so crazy! Little did he know that thinking straight was way off base.

"For God's sake, Lucas, Fred isn't even playing on my team, if you know what I mean." Her tone was one of irritation but the giggle that escaped did not go unnoticed. 

"What!" Lucas shouted into the phone.

Sami twirled around in her chair relishing in Lucas' shock and discomfort. Playing with him really had been too easyand too fun. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and burst into peals of laughter. "Do I have to spell it out? He's G-A-Y. Gay." When Lucas became silent on his end of the phone, Sami got a little worried. "Geez, Lucas, you're not going to get all 'Boyscout' on me are you? I thought you knew that."

Lucas was quiet for a few more moments. "That's not what I meant and you know it," he pouted. She had totally played him and he walked right into her trap. Now that he thought about it, he did remember being told that Fred was gay. The realization slowly hit him that Sami and Fred Woodbridge couldn't possibly be having a "thing." He didn't join in Sami's laughter for trying to hide his immense relief.

"Could've fooled me," Sami commented through a string of chuckles. "Besides," she said, remembering the other subject of her and Fred's conversation. "Let's just say that if good ole Fred were to take a crack at one of Will's parents, it wouldn't be me." With that statement she broke into another fit of laughter. When Lucas still didn't respond, Sami feared she had taken the joke too far. They were just starting to get along again and she really didn't want to screw it up by making him angry over a stupid, yet wildly funny joke.

In actuality, Lucas was thinking he'd never been so happy to have caught the eye of another guy. He noticed that Sami's laughter had died down and he could tell she was waiting for his response thinking that maybe he was mad at her.

Lucas once again smirked into the phone. "Well, try not to sound so jealous," he said plainly. "I can't help it if all manner of human beings find me irresistible." The sound of her laughter tickling his ear again through the phone was the sweetest of music and he joined in willingly. Only Sami could have this kind of effect on him.

They laughed for what seemed like forever, enjoying the new comfort and friendship they had found in each other.

"Hey, do you maybe want to have lunch or something?" Lucas asked spontaneously. He hadn't really expected such a request to fall out of his mouth but today seemed to be all about spontaneity and he genuinely wanted more of her company. He waited with patience and expectation for her answer.

For some reason, she really wanted to spend some more time with Lucas. The two short conversations they had had made her yearn for more. There was no denying the connection between them. Sami wanted to immediately say yes to his invitation but a quick glance at the piles of paper on her desk brought her back to reality. She was again reminded of Kate and the horrid turn of events that had made her the underling of her nemesis. Of course, thoughts of Kate also quickly reminded Sami that things between her and Lucas just weren't going to be simple or easy.

"Umm, I would really love to but"

Her hesitance to answer made Lucas suspect that she would turn him down. He should have known better than to rush things. It was just that they had been having a moment and he hoped that maybe it didn't need to end.

"Sami, don't worry about it. I shouldn't have asked. I know you're at work and I'm really sorry." He reasoned that giving her an out was the best way to remedy this now awkward situation.

"No Lucas," Sami added quickly. "That's not it. I mean, that IS it actually but..." Sami sighed into the phone. "I'm not explaining myself well."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Sami. I shouldn't have asked." Lucas said regretfully.

Sami could hear the disappointment in his voice which perfectly matched the emotions she was feeling. "It was a lovely offer Lucas. And I AM hungry," she said reassuringly. "It's just that I have so much work today and"

"And I've been distracting you with my charm and witty banter," Lucas finished lightly. "It's okay. Maybe some other time."

"Yeah," Sami replied. He had put himself out there and she felt like she had poured a bucket of cold water over the situation. She got the impression that he thought she wasn't interested but she wasn't feeling that at all. Suddenly, she felt a panic rise from the pit of her stomach compelling her to do something before it was too late. "Lucas?" she asked softly.

"Yeah?" He hoped he didn't sound as desperate to her as he felt. This was one straw that he wanted to grasp with all of his might if it would get him what he wanted. And right now, he wanted his friend Sami back.

"How about dinner instead?" Her voice was hopeful and Lucas quickly realized that she wanted this as much as he did. Whatever "this" actually was presently.

Lucas beamed and looked down shyly even though she was nowhere in the room. "That sounds nice. How about at the Pub?" It was only fitting that their new beginning should take place there. "We did some of our best plotting in those booths didn't we?"

Sami chuckled quietly into her phone. "We sure did. I think people will get a little nervous seeing us together there. You never know; it might inspire us. I'm sure we've still got it."

"You bet we do," Lucas said warmly. "So, 7:00? You should be done then, right?"

Sami flipped through her pile and did a mental calculation. "7:00 sounds fine. But I better get back to work. I'll see you tonight."

"Wait!" Lucas said quickly before she hung up. When he was sure she was still on the line, he racked his brain for one more thing to say to her before they parted ways. "Don't forget to eat lunch, young lady." His stern voice was tinged with amusement. "I mean, I can't have you pigging out at dinner. People will talk, you know." He knew it was pretty lame but at least their conversation was ending on a light note.

"Thanks Dad!" Sami whined mimicking his earlier sentiment from the night before. "Don't worry. I brought some food from home so I'll be sure to eat that well before dinner. I don't want to be responsible for ruining your pristine reputation."

"Good, I'm glad we understand each other." With an almost inaudible sigh, Lucas finally forced himself to end their phone call. "I guess I'll see you later. Bye Sami."

"Bye Lucas, I'll see you soon."

They both hung up with identical smiles on their faces. They glanced at their respective clocks hoping for the day to go by faster.


	4. Chapter 4

**HOTLINE**

Chapter 5

Sami entered the familiar comfort of the Brady Pub after finishing up at Basic Black. She walked across the restaurant that was her second home of sorts with a weary shuffle and headed straight for the back where she expected her grandfather would be. She knew from the many years spent working and living here that Grandpa Shawn liked to oversee the goings on of the kitchen right before the dinner rush, especially on busy Saturday nights. He didn't disappoint and she smiled when she saw him playfully bickering with Lisa over which pot of chowder he should be serving from.

When his gaze caught the amused expression in his granddaughter's eyes, he quickly conceded the argument to Lisa and walked over to Sami who was standing well out of the way of the bustling kitchen. She waved to Lisa who grinned and rolled her eyes at Shawn Brady. Sami just shrugged her shoulders and laughed.

"What brings you by tonight, lass," Grandpa Shawn asked while giving her one of his trademark big hugs. "You just stopped by last night. To what do I owe such a pleasure?"

"Can't I just stop by to see my wonderful, loving grandfather?" she asked with a look of youthful innocence. It made Grandpa Shawn smile and shake his head in disbelief.

"Don't you try putting on that innocent act with me," he chuckled with a jolly glint in his eye. "But you know you're always welcome and that I love seeing you and Will as much as I can. How is young William these days? Enjoying his camp I hope?"

Sami warmed thinking of her son. She missed him terribly and was glad that he was coming back a little early. Having him gone for an entire summer was getting harder and harder each year. "He's doing really well, Grandpa. He's having lots of fun away from his parents. Apparently the other campers voted him to be their section's team captain. He said it was no big deal but that didn't stop me from gushing, of course." She was beaming with pride speaking of Will and how talented he was. Grandpa Shawn pinched her cheek in the same manner he always did ever since she was a little girl. He said that when she gave him a big smile, he couldn't help but try to grab it. "He's growing up so fast Grandpa. The next thing you know, he'll be driving and going out on dates."

Grandpa Shawn leaned against the long counter and crossed his arms in front of him. "I think I know that feeling, little one. But no matter how old they get, they never stop being your babies," he wisely commented while giving her a meaningful parental once-over. Sami nodded in wistful agreement. "So you still haven't answered my question, young lady. What brings you out to the Pub on a Saturday night? I'm sure you really didn't come over here to hang out with your old grandpa, although if you did, I've got some dishes waiting for you in the corner."

Sami waved off the offer quickly and turned to head back to the front. "Well, you're right, as usual," she said with a wink, "but seeing you is definitely a perk. Actually, I'm meeting someone for dinner." She avoided meeting his eyes and continued towards the bar. She didn't trust herself to conceal her anticipation over having dinner with her ex-enemy. Even though she wanted to be discreet about her new friendship with Lucas, the huge smile and deep blush that colored her cheeks were a dead giveaway that she wasn't just having an ordinary Saturday night dinner with a friendly acquaintance.

Grandpa Shawn raised an eyebrow at her declaration. He loved his granddaughter dearly but she wasn't the most likable or popular person in Salem, he hated to admit. "And who might this dinner date be?" he curiously responded.

"It's not a date Grandpa! It's just dinner with a friend." Her efforts to avoid his gaze told him it was anything but a strictly "friendly" meal.

"I guess if you don't want to tell me, I'll find out soon enough when he gets here."

"I suppose you will," she said not giving anything away. Her grandfather winked at her implying that he was content to wait and see, so she sat down at the bar to wait for Lucas. He poured her a soda and went to help Lisa with the crowds just starting to come in for a big, Brady meal.

Sami glanced at her watch confirming that it was five minutes to seven. It wouldn't be long now. She felt a nervous flutter in her heart at the thought. She shot a quick look towards the front door and then returned her gaze to her soda, daydreaming about the possibilities of her and Lucas' relationship.

_Sami is standing in the kitchen putting the roasting pan into the oven. She was amazed that she was getting close to actually putting together a complete and edible meal. Times sure had changedbut definitely for the better. A more domestic life suited her, she thought. She checked the dial on the oven one last time and covered the raspberry sauce for the cheesecake waiting in the refrigerator. She knew a couple of guys who were going to be very happy with her efforts in a little while._

_Before she had time to worry about any other details of the meal, the door opened and Will barreled in followed by his father. Both walked casually into the apartment like it was the most natural thing in the world._

_"Boy, something sure smells good!" Will exclaimed excitedly. Sami walked over to him and to his annoyance, gave him a kiss on the top of his head. "Hey! What's the big idea!" He hated when his mother treated him like a little kid but he smirked a little bit anyway._

_Sami chuckled at Will's embarrassment and the fact that he looked so much like his father. "'Hey' nothing, little man. I can kiss my own son if I want to. Dinner will be in an hour so that's just enough time for you to finish your homework."_

_"Okay, mom," Will said a little too cooperatively. "I can finish it pretty quickly but can I go down to Jason's and do it? We have to write an essay for English class and we do much better when we can bounce ideas off of each other."_

_"Sounds intense," Lucas said, speaking for the first time from behind Will. "I think that sounds okay. That is if you agree, 'Mom.'" He grinned slyly at her, daring her to be the bad guy in this situation. In actuality, he had his own agenda to worry about._

_Sami shook her head at the older man and walked back towards the kitchen. "It's fine with me Will but be back in an hour, sharp. And no video games until you finish your assignment. I want to see it when you get back."_

_"Yes Mom," he whined grabbing his backpack and heading out the door. Before he closed it completely, he looked back over at his parents and smiled mischievously at his setup. "Have fun you guys."_

_"Hey, we're not 'you guys,' we'reoh, never mind," Sami yelled at the closed door. She looked back at the room's other occupant and cocked her head to the side. "So what have you got to say for yourself Lucas?" She grabbed the edge of the counter behind her and hit him with the challenging look she knew he had been waiting for._

_Not wanting to disappoint, Lucas was at her side in two large strides, immediately pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply. He moaned as Sami immediately opened her lips and welcomed the sensual contact she had been anticipating since he had left this morning. He pushed her hard against the counter and grabbed her ass in both hands, pushing her into his hot groin._

_Lucas pulled away from her mouth and looked intensely into her lust filled eyes. "Do you know how badly I've wanted to get my hands on you today?" He nudged her head to the side roughly and ran his lips and tongue along her sweet neck. Before she could respond, he picked her up and placed her on her back across the counter._

_"Lucas!" Sami yelped in surprise. He ignored her and began unbuttoning her blouse, dipping his hands inside to caress the hard nipples straining through her lace bra. Her sounds of alarm turned to moans of pleasure as he unhooked her bra and took one of her breasts into his mouth._

_"Oh Sami, you make me burn," Lucas mumbled still feasting on her chest. One of his hands was working its way underneath her skirt intent on stroking her through her panties._

_In a flash, he had her shirt and bra completely off along with his shirt. The top button on his pants was undone and she could feel his arousal brushing invitingly against her thigh._

_When Sami noticed Lucas looking down at her with such intense love and passion, she stopped his movements and motioned for him to lean down closer to her face. She leaned up and kissed him softly using her tongue to probe deeper between his lips. She tried to make the kiss as intoxicating as possible to convey her adoration of him and of their relationship._

_She pulled away slowly and could keenly feel the heat that had built up between their two aroused bodies. While he was still staring into her eyes with longing, Sami reached down and unzipped his slacks, pushing them down along with his sexy silk boxers. Without breaking eye contact, she carefully leaned back down on the counter and guided his hands back underneath her skirt. When Lucas' lips spread out in a horny grin, she confirmed that this was all the encouragement he needed._

_"Take me, Lucas, right now," Sami demanded. Not one to deny the lady beneath him, Lucas leaned down to claim her lips yet again. When he thought she had had enough, he spread her legs wider and lovingly caressed her thighs right before he plunged...  
_  
"Sami?" a voice called from far away.

"Sami!" The voice had become louder but Sami didn't want to leave her wonderful fantasy. However, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she had no choice but to rejoin the land of the living.

When Sami turned her attention to the person attached to the hand on her shoulder, she was slightly flushed and red-faced from her rather vivid fantasy of her and Lucas on the countertop. She felt warmed not only from her erotic musings but of the entire domestic picture she had created in her mind over the last, however many minutes she had been out of it. These fantasies she was having about Lucas were really getting out of control.

She looked down at her watch before turning back to the worried expression on her grandfather's face. "Are you alright, lass? You look a wee bit out of sorts."

Sami straightened her hair nervously and looked around to see if anyone had noticed her lapse into dreamland. "Oh no, Grandpa, I'm fine," she said breathlessly. "I'm just thinking about something."

Checking her watch again, she calculated that she had been out of it for almost 10 minutes. She frowned thinking that Lucas was running late. She checked her cell phone for messages but there was nothing in her voicemail box. She thought it was a little strange but nothing to get worried about yet.

"Well, if you're okay..." Grandpa Shawn said, clearly not convinced that she was in her right mind.

Having calmed down somewhat, Sami smiled up at her grandfather and took a sip of her now watered-down soda. "Go ahead and get back to your customers. I promise that I'm fine." With a squeeze to her shoulder, he walked back to the front of the restaurant to greet the couple that had just walked in.

Fifteen minutes later, Sami had checked her voicemail and watch for what seemed like the millionth time. "Where are you Lucas?" Sami said out loud, prompting the old man next to her to look up. She smiled and turned the opposite direction on her stool.

It was almost 7:30 and still no sign of Lucas. She was a little worried and embarrassed about sitting here all alone for this amount of time but her annoyance was growing by the second. It seemed from their earlier conversation that he wanted to spend some time with her but why would he not show up without calling? With each passing minute, all sorts of doubts surfaced about meeting up with him tonight. Despite the past couple of days, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was trying to trick her into letting her guard down. Maybe when he thought she trusted him, he would try to take Will away from her again. Or maybe, he was trying to get back in her good graces to find out some dirt to humiliate her with. She certainly could see him working with his mother to plan some sort of torture for her.

But all of these disaster scenarios just didn't sound right. Why would Lucas go through all the trouble? Besides, even when they were at their worst, she could still read him like a book and vice versa.

After the time had reached 8:05, and she had left Lucas a voicemail message, Sami was getting worried. Her grandpa had been over several times to check on her, leaving her more distressed each time. She was reaching that point where her annoyance was being replaced with worry. She wanted to be mad at him for his tardiness or for flaking on her without calling. But she couldn't help thinking the worstthat maybe he couldn't call because he was lying in a ditch somewhere.

She thought briefly about calling someone but she had no idea who she would call or what she would say. Apparently, she was going to have to wait it out until he decided to contact her with an explanation.

She exhaled a big sigh and left the stool that she had been warming for the better part of an hour. For obvious reasons, she had completely lost her appetite and just wanted to go home. She found Grandpa Shawn and wished him goodnight. He graciously avoided questioning her about her missing dinner date but made her promise to stop by the next evening for a cup of tea.

Sami walked back through the Pub slowly looking around in case Lucas had come in while she was in the back. Not seeing anyone even remotely fitting his description, she bid Lisa goodnight and walked out into the warm summer night. She had told Grandpa Shawn that if anyone came looking for her, to tell them that she had already gone home but she didn't really think he was going to have to deliver that message. Even still, she waited in her car for a few minutes, leaving another voicemail message for Lucas in the process.

Feeling completely defeated and sad, Sami drove home and quickly changed into her pajamas. Tonight called for her staple depression foodEspresso Fudge Ice Cream with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. She turned on the television to keep her mind off of worrying about Lucas but it wasn't working. Everything seemed to morph into some kind of perilous situation with Lucas at its centerthe weather report, her favorite reality show, even an old Chuck Jones cartoon with a few falling anvils. There was a report of a terrible 8 car pileup on the highway and she imagined Lucas buried under 10 tons of wreckage even though there was no way Lucas was even on that side of town. Even hearing about an accident made her anxious for him. She had left him 2 messages at the Pub and she had also knocked on his door when she got home. But she still hadn't heard anything from him.

After polishing off her sugary dinner, she set the empty ice cream container on the coffee table. Her stomach was rumbling with anger both from her unhealthy dinner and from the stress of worrying about Lucas for the past several hours. It was 10:30 and still no sign of him.

Sami pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch and wrapped it around her snugly. Her cell phone lay on the coffee table within easy reach in case anyone calledor rather, someone in particular. She knew she should head to bed since she had a full Sunday planned but it wouldn't hurt to stay up a little longer, just in case she heard him arriving at his apartment.

However, despite her meal, as 11:00 rolled around, her eyelids became heavy and before she knew it, she was fast asleep, dreaming of a very familiar pre-dinner rendevous on her kitchen countertop.


	5. Chapter 5

HOTLINE: Chapter 6 (NC-17)

Lucas glared at his cell phone as if it were the most evil of enemies. After hearing the annoying busy signal indicating that he had no service, he threw the useless piece of technology on the passenger seat. He also cursed the string of cars in front of him that seemed to have not advanced an inch in the past hour. His eyes kept getting drawn towards the same funny looking tree to the left side of his car. It had strands of flowers hanging off of one branch for some odd reason.

He looked at the clock on his dashboard which unfortunately for him, read 7:32. Sami was going to kill himor in the very least, she would refuse to ever meet up with him again. That thought sent an instant panic through him as he had been looking forward to seeing her all day.

She was probably sitting at the bar in the Pub stewing because he hadn't called to tell her that he was going to be late. To her credit, she was probably a little worried too but right now, he was sure there were all sorts of angry doubts running through her mind and none of it boded well for him.

In order to free up some of his time for next week, he had gone over to the next town in order to check on a property that Tony wanted to acquire. He had left Salem at about 1:30 and thought he had plenty of time to check it out and get back before his dinner date. What he hadn't counted on was running into a representative from a competitor's company and having to sweet talk himself out of the situation without giving away any of his hand. That had taken a couple of hours which included a telephone conversation explaining the whole thing to Tony.

By the time he had gotten back on the road, it was 5:30, yet he still thought he had plenty of time to make it back before 7:00. Of course, that was before he knew about the 8 car pileup on the freeway that completely blocked the route back to Salem. The detour arranged by the highway patrol took him two towns and 2 hours out of the way. Conceding defeat, he reasoned that the detour would still make him that late for his dinner with Sami but now he needed to explain it all to her over the phone.

His bad luck wasn't over since wherever their detour had taken them, it apparently didn't get cell phone service. All of this led to his fruitless efforts over the past hour to get a message to Sami that he would be late. By the time he was headed back in the direction of Salem, there was a traffic jam that seemed to be a million miles long and no sign of his cell phone working in the near future. If things kept going in this fashion, there was no way he would be able to get home before midnight.

After moving forward about 2 feet, Lucas slammed his fist against the steering wheel and cursed loudly into the empty confines of his car. This was supposed to be the night that he and Sami were going to get things right and then this had to happen. Fate really was cruel.

He turned on the radio and after flipping through various stations, he stopped on something that wouldn't entirely grate on his nerves. As he sat there staring at the annoying headlights of the car in front of him, he let his mind wander to the possibilities that were rapidly disappearing at this very moment.

_He and Sami were approaching their apartment door walking shoulder to shoulder as they slowly strolled down the hall. Neither wanted their lovely evening to end. Dinner at the Pub had been fun even if it seemed like the entire restaurant was staring at them waiting for some kind of drama to unfold. Sami and Lucas just tried to ignore them and carry on with their meal. They had both wondered if the ease of their phone conversations would translate into a face to face encounter but they found that they had plenty to talk about. After all, despite their tumultuous past, they had once been very good friends with a lot in common other than their wonderful son._

_When they reached Sami's door, they stopped reluctantly both trying to think of something that would prolong the encounter. Lucas had been fighting the impulse to kiss her since before they had left the restaurant but he knew that probably wouldn't go over well with her. That didn't stop him from staring longingly at her delectable lips every now and then, the most recent occurrence being right this very second._

_Sami leaned into her door and dropped her head to the side. "So do you want to come in for some tea or something?" she asked barely above a whisper._

_"Sure," he answered quickly with a shy smile and followed her inside the apartment. He closed the door behind him and when he turned around to return his full attention back to his pretty blonde date, she was moving towards him to capture his mouth in a hot, wet kiss._

_Her efforts had caused them to slam against the now closed door but neither noticed so focused on probing the other's mouth with their tongues. Lucas didn't miss a beat in responding to her, pulling her against him and plunging his fingers into her free-flowing hair. His groan of approval was enough to have her tearing his shirt off, struggling with each button so as not to rip them off completely._

_Lucas broke away from her mouth long enough to lift her shirt up and over her head. But he quickly reattached himself to her lips now the he could feel the softness of her skin on his fingers. After Sami had shed him of his shirt and thrown it across the room, she grabbed the edge of his pants and began walking them towards her bedroom. They clumsily stumbled around hitting the couch and taking a wrong turn into the kitchen. Sami's sexy giggling over their detour made him more committed to getting them into her bed._

_Sami yelped in surprise as Lucas picked her up and guided her legs around his waist. With a purposeful stride, he turned them towards the bedroom, continuing to kiss her senseless until he reached his destination. Sami pulled away from him and fixed him with a serious look as he lowered her carefully onto the bed. "I didn't mean to attack you. I guess I couldn't help myself." She said this with a small smile yet didn't look the least bit apologetic. "I hope I'm not going to fast for you," she muttered bashfully._

_When he had finally placed her onto her back, he climbed on top of her and stroked her face softly. Feeling her silky skin against his bare chest made him want to melt right into her. "I think I want this just as badly as you do, baby." She beamed at his endearment and reached up to trace the line of his chin._

_"I do, Lucas. I do want you so badly." His heart burned with passion and affection but he didn't have time to think too much about it as she reached behind his neck to pull him back to her lips. She whimpered in desire when he pushed his arousal against her._

_Hearing her verbally expressing her pleasure encouraged him to pull away from her mouth and concentrate on other parts of her body. He pulled each strap of her bra from her shoulders, caressing her skin sensuously. She lifted up so that he could unhook the satiny barrier and throw it aside. Now having her exposed before him, he wasted no time in tasting the creamy flesh and licking at her hardened nipples. Sami moaned and undulated underneath him prompting him to grow harder against her._

_Sami placed her palm against his chest encouraging him to pull back and when she leaned up, with him straddling her, she moved to unzip his pants and push them down off his hips. She delicately pulled his now throbbing member from his pants stroking him easily before retreating to completely remove his pants and boxers. She never broke eye contact with him, hypnotizing him with her needy gaze. She placed her hands back on his chest and pushed him towards the bed and onto his back. She shed her skirt, which had been completely hiked up thanks to his exploring hands and removed her panties along with it._

_When she went to remove her shiny black knee high boots, he firmly grasped her wrists and shook his head. He had always loved those boots on her and couldn't imagine a better way for her to display them. Sami attacked his mouth with a hot, quick kiss before looking devilishly into his eyes. "Aren't we feeling naughty tonight," she purred. She nipped him on his chin and on his shoulder before he pulled her down flush against him._

_"We certainly are. What can I say? You inspire the kinky side of me." Lucas could feel how ready she was for him. He was suffocating with desire at the sensation of her slick sex against his. When she grasped his cock, he thought he would die of pleasure until she guided it expertly to precisely the place he wanted to be. With the greatest of anticipation, he surrendered to her as she plunged..."_

"Beeeeeep, Beeeeep!"

"What!" Lucas screamed as he jumped in his seat. He looked around him in a daze and saw that the car in front of him had moved a record five feet in the last five minutes. Apparenyly, he car behind him, was more anxious to get moving than even he was. Still, an burning rage built inside Lucas as he contemplated shooting the finger at the person behind him.

He couldn't believe that someone had interrupted what had to have been the hottest erotic daydream ever. And over what? The chance to move a whopping five feet towards town? His face reddened when he looked down to see a throbbing erection visible through his slacks. Maybe the interruption had been a good thing because the way that fantasy had been heading, he couldn't be trusted not to embarrass himself out here on the highway. He turned the air conditioner up hoping that would cool his raging libido and curb the arousal still coursing through his body. That he had been entertaining such sinfully delicious sexual scenarios about Sami did not sit well with him. They were just starting to re-build their relationship and he couldn't risk messing it up by letting his hormones dictate his behavior. Yet again, he wondered how exactly she managed to sneak her way back into his system.

Lucas rested his head on the steering wheel, succumbing to despair. When he heard another annoying honk from the person behind him, he impulsively flashed his middle finger having had enough of the driver's impatience. They all wanted to get home faster so why not take it easy? When he checked the driver's response in his rearview mirror, he was greeted with the sight of a very shocked middle-aged woman with a toddler in the front seat and a baby in the back seat. He groaned and leaned back onto his headrest wondering if the day could get any worse.

By the time he dragged himself down the hallway towards his apartment, it was half past midnight. The rest of his ride home had been excruciatingly frustrating since he didn't get phone service back until about 10 minutes ago. Wallowing in his bad fortune, he had checked his message and although he didn't think it was possible, they made him feel even worse than he had before.

Stopping in front of Sami's door, he recalled the messages she had left for him. The first one had been from around 7:40 and it sounded like she had been sitting in the Pub for some time. Her angry tone wasn't lost on him.

"Hey Lucas, it's Sami. I was just wondering where you are. Your cell phone keeps going straight to voicemail. I don't know if you forgot about tonight or if something came up but just give me a call back and let me know if you made other plans. It's not a big deal or anything since I was going to come here to see Grandpa Shawn anyway, but I'd like to know if I should waste any more of my precious time waiting around for you. Okay, bye."

Lucas cringed at the vulnerability in her voice. He knew that she rarely went over to the Brady Pub on Saturday nights because they were usually busy and she didn't want to bother or distract her grandfather. She had said as much on many occasions when picking up Will. No, she was feeling hurt and in typical Sami fashion, she was lashing out angrily. However, her second message at about 20 minutes past 8:00 had an entirely different tone.

"Um, hi Lucas. I don't know if you got my first message but I just wanted to check in with you again. I don't know what came up but could you just call me and let me know that you're on your way." He could tell that she was trying to keep the worry out of her voice but failing miserably. "I'm leaving the Pub and heading home so if you get this message, I wanted to let you know that I won't be there. I don't care or anything, I mean, I'm not mad but maybe we could touch base and you can beg for my forgiveness for standing me up." Her joke sounded like it fell flat even to her ears. "Um...call me, I guess. Bye."

Lucas erased that message and tried to go a little bit faster towards home. If her first two messages hadn't convinced him that he needed to talk to her, her last message at 11:45 surely did the trick.

"It's Sami again. So you win! You've succeeded in making me worry. So why don't you do us both a favor and give me a call when you get in. I know you wouldn't pass up an opportunity to aggravate me in a public place so I just wanted to make sure that you're alive and in one piece for me to yell at in the morning. Anyway, it doesn't matter how late it is, just knock on my door or give me a call. I'm sure you're perfectly fine and you're laughing at me right now but humor me, okay? Talk to you soon. Bye."

Recalling her last frantic message, he couldn't hold himself back and knocked lightly on her door. He could hear the television on inside so he knew that she was home and not wandering the streets looking for him. He knocked again a little louder still receiving no answer.

He went towards his apartment to grab his extra key when he heard Bruce from next door shuffling out of his apartment followed by his two little dogs. Lucas looked down at his watch again before sending a distracted greeting to his neighbor.

"Good evening, neighboror should I say good morning. Whatever the proper greeting, I know it's late. But, these two little guys don't know the difference one way or another when nature calls." The dogs were looking up at Bruce expectantly obviously trying to hurry their owner along.

"Have you seen Sami this evening by any chance," Lucas asked cutting to the chase. "She's not answering her door."

Bruce chuckled as his dogs pulled him rather insistently towards the elevator. "I suspect she's inside all tired out from worrying about you. She must have knocked on your door about 50 times tonight. Don't be surprised if her hands are swollen tomorrow." The elevator door opened and he led the dogs inside. "I even saw her coming out of your place once," he yelled while retreating down the hall. "She looked pretty concerned when she asked if I had seen you. You might want to drop in and let her know you haven't been chopped up into a dozen pieces. Good luck." The elevator doors closed with the older man smiling and waving goodbye. That did it for Lucas. He opened the door and rushed into his apartment to get his extra key to her place.

To his shock, right next to the tray where he kept the key, Sami had written him a note. It simply said, "Call me ASAP!" The whole thing was underlined twice and she had scrawled her name at the bottom. He smiled thinking about how worried she was about him but soon got back on track and grabbed the extra key.

He crept into Sami's apartment as quietly as he could manage not wanting to wake her too quickly. The scene that greeted him melted his heart.

Sami was curled up on the couch in her cute pajamas. She had one hand beneath her head and the other curled into her chest. Her steady breaths were coming out of her adorably puckered lips and blowing a stray tendril of hair away from her face. His eyes picked up the empty carton of ice cream on the table and he grinned to himself thinking of the chocolate syrup and sprinkles he knew he would find on her counter.

When he walked closer and kneeled down in front of her, he noticed that nestled tightly in her hand was her cell phone. Lucas' affection reached new heights and he had a hard time quashing the love that had crept into his body at her gesture.

He shook her shoulder gently and called out her name. It was nearly impossible to wake her up in the middle of the night unless it had something to do with Will but he tried nonetheless. "Sami, wake up. It's Lucas."

She opened her eyes and stared at him with a bleary expression. "Lucas," she whispered sleepily. "You need to clean the kitchen counter before Will gets back from Jason's."

"What?" he responded, clearly confused.

She became a little more oriented and focused intently on his face. "Where have you been?"

He stroked her hair with affection hoping not to startle her. "I'm so sorry, Sami. I wanted to be with you tonight but I got caught on the highway. There was this bad accident and"

"You were in that accident," Sami said with alarm.

"No, no," he assured her in a soothing tone. "I just got caught in the traffic jam. I tried to call but my cell phone was dead."

"Oh," she said simply, slipping back into slumber. "So you're not dead in some ditch?" He chuckled at her irrational and sleepy response.

He caressed her cheek needing to feel her soft skin against his. "No, I'm fine, Sami. Thanks for worrying about me." He pried the cell phone from her tight hold and placed it on the coffee table next to the empty ice cream carton. "I hope we can reschedule?" he whispered hopefully.

"Okay." Having been assured on some level that he was alive and well, she was quickly falling back into a deep sleep. "I was worried about you Lucas. Don't scare me like that again or I'm going to have to kill you."

Lucas laughed softly and kissed the hand that had been holding the phone. "I'll try my best. Now get some sleep." He stood up reluctantly and covered her in the blanket that had fallen onto the floor. Before he lost his nerve, he leaned down and placed a long soft kiss on her cheek. The feel of her smile against his lips sent waves of affection and arousal through him.

He stepped back and wrote her a note explaining what had happened in case she didn't remember his visit in the morning. He apologized profusely and offered to buy her dinner the next night at the restaurant of her choice to make it up to her. He placed the note underneath her cell phone on the table. He returned to his apartment full of regret and practically fell into bed, both physically and emotionally exhausted from the day.

When he woke up in the morning and walked to his kitchen for a glass of juice, he notice a piece of paper sitting underneath his cell phone. It was the note he had written to Sami last night but there was an additional message underneath the one he had written. After reading the message penned in Sami's handwriting his face broke out in a wide grin. Suddenly his day was looking like a very good one. He set the note back on the counter and headed to the bathroom for a shower with her written words still running through his mind.

_You're on General. Call me._

_Sami_


End file.
